Energy Action Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Energy Action Coalition is a North America
n non-profit organization made up of 50 partner organizations in the U.S. and Canada
that runs campaigns to build the youth and student clean energy movement and advocate for tangible changes on local, state, national and international levels in North America. Energy Action focuses its campaigns on campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics. It is part of the Global Youth Climate Movement
The Energy Action Coalition was founded in June 2004 at a meeting of representatives from almost 20 environmental groups in Washington, D.C. The founding of Energy Action was a result of the coordination of many local and national environmental networks in a day of action on April 1, 2004 called Fossil Fools Day
which advocated for reducing dependence for energy on fossil fuel
s with more than 125 registered actions.
The following organizations are members of the coalition:
on April 1, 2004 was not a project of the Energy Action Coalition, but with over 125 actions coordinated by numerous organizations, it precipitated the formation of the coalition the following June. The day of action featured demonstrations promoting renewable energy and protesting President George W. Bush’s energy plan.
The second Fossil Fools Day on April 1, 2005, promoted in the United States and Canada by the Energy Action Coalition included more than 300 actions in Canada and the U.S., and actions in England, Nigeria and Panama. One example of the a student organized event was as a bike ride organized by Middlebury College
students and included students from Green Mountain College
and the University of Vermont
from Burlington, VT to Montpelier, VT the state capital to lobby lawmakers.
Every year since 2004 and the founding of Energy Action, young people from around the U.S. and Canada have continued the collective day of action on April 1 to confront the fossil fuel industry and lobby politicians. Hundreds of campuses and communities have participated by hosting a variety of lobby and campaign events, film screenings, and protests at dirty energy sites.
http://www.climatechallenge.org
, a rally of between 2,000 and 3,000 people on the steps of the Capitol building and a Lobby Day. The aim of the conference was to urge elected officials to pass legislation which would include three planks taken from the platform of the climate advocacy coalition 1Sky
:
The conference included workshops, panel discussions, and speakers focusing on addressing climate change and building a strong youth movement around clean energy and environmental justice. Keynote speakers included Van Jones
, Bill McKibben
, Ralph Nader
, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
.
http://www.powervote.org
The event drew over 12,000 student and youth climate activists, representing all 50 U.S. states, all Canadian provinces, and 13 other nations including Brazil, Austria, the United Kingdom. The goal of the conference was to "push the Obama
administration and Congress
to pass 'bold, comprehensive, and just national climate legislation before entering international climate negotiations in December 2009.'" The official Power Shift 2009 website states that the conference will bring 10,000 students and young people together to:
The Power Shift '09 Conference was the largest gathering of young people to solve the climate crisis in history. Meeting with key strategic members in Congress, these young activists were told that they (congress) was ready to start promoting the essential legislation to achieve the just energy future we all deserve, but they needed a force (they specifically asked for an "army") on the ground spreading the word and gaining support. At Power Shift '09 we gathered in record numbers, 12,000 plus, to demonstrate that the youth climate movement is that "army."
http://www.powershift09.org
There couldn't have been a more important time for these summits; the Senate was working on a much needed climate and energy bill and President Obama needed such legislation to head to the International Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen with the tools necessary to lead the world toward a fair, ambitious & binding global treaty.
http://www.energyactioncoalition.org/Regional
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n non-profit organization made up of 50 partner organizations in the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that runs campaigns to build the youth and student clean energy movement and advocate for tangible changes on local, state, national and international levels in North America. Energy Action focuses its campaigns on campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics. It is part of the Global Youth Climate Movement
Youth Climate Movement
The Youth Climate Movement or International Youth Climate Movement refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.- Formation :Since the Rio Earth...
The Energy Action Coalition was founded in June 2004 at a meeting of representatives from almost 20 environmental groups in Washington, D.C. The founding of Energy Action was a result of the coordination of many local and national environmental networks in a day of action on April 1, 2004 called Fossil Fools Day
Fossil Fools Day
Fossil Fools Day is an environmental demonstration day. It occurs on April 1. The name is a play on the term fossil fuels and April Fools' Day.Fossil Fools Day began in 2004 with coordinated actions across the United States and Canada...
which advocated for reducing dependence for energy on fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
s with more than 125 registered actions.
Vision statement
On its official website, Energy Action Coalition defines its vision as the following:- The Energy Action coalition unites a diversity of organizations in an alliance that supports and strengthens the student and youth clean energy movement in North America. The partners of Energy Action work together to leverage our collective power and create change for a clean, efficient, just and renewable energy future. The work of Energy Action is focused on four strategic areas: campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics.
Structure
Energy Action is a coalition of 50 student and youth environmental and advocacy organizations. The coalition has full-time staff and offices in Washington, DC.The following organizations are members of the coalition:
- Americans for Informed DemocracyAmericans for Informed DemocracyAmericans for Informed Democracy is a non-partisan 501 organization that is based in Washington, D.C.-History:AIDemocracy was founded by a group of American students who studied abroad just after the September 11th attacks. The students were traumatized by 9-11, but they were met with intense...
- Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
- Black Mesa Water Coalition
- Brower New Leaders Initiative
- California Student Sustainability Coalition
- CALPIRG
- Campus ProgressCampus ProgressCampus Progress, launched in February 2005, is an American non-profit organization that promotes progressive political and social policy through support for student activists and journalists on college campuses in the United States...
- Canadian Youth Climate CoalitionCanadian Youth Climate CoalitionThe Canadian Youth Climate Coalition is a non for profit youth organisation in Canada. The coalition consists of various youth organisations, which includes the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Labour Congress The charity aims to politically prioritize climate change as an important...
- Chesapeake Climate Action NetworkChesapeake Climate Action NetworkThe Chesapeake Climate Action Network was officially launched on July 1, 2002 with a seed grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Chesapeake Climate Action Network is a registered 5013 organization located in Takoma Park, Maryland....
- Clean Air Cool Planet
- Climate Crisis Coalition
- ConnPIRG
- CoPIRG
- Dakota Resource Council
- Earth Day Network
- Energy Justice Network
- Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative
- Free The Planet
- Global ExchangeGlobal ExchangeGlobal Exchange is an advocacy group and non-governmental organization , based in San Francisco, California, United States. The group's mission is to promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice around the world.-History:...
- Green For AllGreen For AllGreen for All is an NGO in the United States "working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty." Based in Oakland, California, Green For All advocates for a clean energy economy as a solution to both environmental and economic problems. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins...
- Greenpeace Student Network
- Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus LifeHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus LifeHillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, working with thousands of college students globally...
- Indigenous Environmental Network
- Kids Against Pollution
- League of Conservation Voters Education Fund: Project Democracy
- League of Young Voters
- MASSPIRG (Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group)
- National Association of Environmental Law Societies
- National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology Program
- Net ImpactNet ImpactNet Impact is a nonprofit membership organization for students and professionals interested in using business skills in support of various social and environmental causes. It serves both a professional organization and one of the largest student organizations among MBAs in the world...
- NJPIRG
- The People SpeakThe People SpeakThe People Speak is an online community of young people who want to get involved in global issues. The community engages people of all ages and backgrounds in thoughtful discussions about the value of international cooperation for the United States and the world. From September 1 to November 30...
- Responsible Endowments Coalition
- Restoring Eden http://restoringeden.org/, a Christian grassrootsGrassrootsA grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
network dedicated to "encouraging faithful stewardshipStewardship (theology)Stewardship is a theological belief that humans are responsible for the world, and should take care of it. It can have political implications, such as in Christian Democracy.-Implications:...
of the natural world as a biblical, moral, and wise value." Its primary areas of work are nature appreciation, environmental stewardship, and public advocacy. - The Ruckus Society
- Rainforest Action NetworkRainforest Action NetworkRainforest Action Network is an environmental organization based in San Francisco, California, USA. The organization was founded by Randy "Hurricane" Hayes and Mike Roselle in 1985, with the financial help of Fund for Wild Nature....
- Student Environmental Action CoalitionStudent Environmental Action CoalitionThe Student Environmental Action Coalition or SEAC is a student and youth run national network of progressive organizations and individuals based in the United States....
- Sierra Student CoalitionSierra Student CoalitionThe Sierra Student Coalition is the national student chapter of the Sierra Club. Founded by Adam Werbach in 1991, it now has about 14,000 members and is likely the largest student-led environmental group in the United States.- National-level :...
- Sierra Youth Coalition
- Southern Alliance for Clean EnergySouthern Alliance for Clean EnergyThe Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is a non-profit, nonpartisan energy watchdog group based in the Southeastern United States . SACE was originally organized under the name Tennessee Valley Energy Coalition in 1985...
- Southwest Workers Union
- Students United for a Responsible Global Environment
- SustainUSSustainUSSustainUS is a non-profit, nonpartisan, youth-led advocacy group in the United States. Its goal is to improve youth participation and youth empowerment as it relates to advancing sustainable development...
- Sustainable Endowments Institute
- USSAUSSAUSSA may refer to:*United States Ski and Snowboard Association*United States Snooker Association*United States Sports Academy*United States of South-east Asia*United States Student Association...
- Utah Clean Energy
- WashPIRG
- WISPIRG
- Youth Environmental Network
- Young People For
Fossil Fools Day
The first Fossil Fools DayFossil Fools Day
Fossil Fools Day is an environmental demonstration day. It occurs on April 1. The name is a play on the term fossil fuels and April Fools' Day.Fossil Fools Day began in 2004 with coordinated actions across the United States and Canada...
on April 1, 2004 was not a project of the Energy Action Coalition, but with over 125 actions coordinated by numerous organizations, it precipitated the formation of the coalition the following June. The day of action featured demonstrations promoting renewable energy and protesting President George W. Bush’s energy plan.
The second Fossil Fools Day on April 1, 2005, promoted in the United States and Canada by the Energy Action Coalition included more than 300 actions in Canada and the U.S., and actions in England, Nigeria and Panama. One example of the a student organized event was as a bike ride organized by Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
students and included students from Green Mountain College
Green Mountain College
Green Mountain College is a coeducational private environmental liberal arts college located in Poultney, Vermont, in the USA.Green Mountain is located in the Vermont countryside, at the foot of the Taconic Mountains between the Green Mountains and Adirondacks.The College has a core set of courses...
and the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
from Burlington, VT to Montpelier, VT the state capital to lobby lawmakers.
Every year since 2004 and the founding of Energy Action, young people from around the U.S. and Canada have continued the collective day of action on April 1 to confront the fossil fuel industry and lobby politicians. Hundreds of campuses and communities have participated by hosting a variety of lobby and campaign events, film screenings, and protests at dirty energy sites.
The Campus Climate Challenge
Energy Action's flagship campaign, the Campus Climate Challenge, was launched in 2006 to spur a new wave of investment in renewable energy on college campuses from coast to coast. The Campaign spread like wildfire and Climate Challenge is now being run on over 700 colleges and universities across the country, and more than 550 of those campuses have made institutional commitments to become carbon neutral.http://www.climatechallenge.org
Power Shift 2007
The first national youth climate conference, Power Shift '07, took place from November 2 to 5, 2007 with between 5,000 and 6,000 students and young people in attendance. The summit featured workshops, expert panels, and speakers at the University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, a rally of between 2,000 and 3,000 people on the steps of the Capitol building and a Lobby Day. The aim of the conference was to urge elected officials to pass legislation which would include three planks taken from the platform of the climate advocacy coalition 1Sky
1Sky
1Sky is a United States based campaign in support of federal action to stem global warming and promote renewable energy.1Sky was founded in the spring of 2007 when thirty climate campaigners were on a retreat in the Hudson Valley of New York state...
:
- The creation of a 5 million-strong Clean Energy Job Corps
- The reduction of greenhouse gases to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, which scientists say is the baseline for mitigating the worst effects of global warming
- A moratorium on new coal plants and divestment from fossil fuel and highway subsidies.
The conference included workshops, panel discussions, and speakers focusing on addressing climate change and building a strong youth movement around clean energy and environmental justice. Keynote speakers included Van Jones
Van Jones
Anthony Kapel "Van" Jones is an American environmental advocate, civil rights activist, and attorney. Jones is a co-founder of three non-profit organizations. In 1996, he founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a California non-governmental organization working for alternatives to violence...
, Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben
William Ernest "Bill" McKibben is an American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively on the impact of global warming. He is the Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College...
, Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
.
Power Vote
The 2008 election season, Energy Action Coalition ran the Power Vote campaign to harness the power of the youth vote for clean and just energy and good green jobs. Powervote was a major player at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, was formally endorsed and supported by renowned NASA climatologist James Hansen, had a large presence at each of the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, was a featured project of Bill Clinton's Clinton Global Initiative, and hosted Al Gore in a live nationwide webcast. Over 350,000 young people got involved in the movement as climate voters and new leaders. Youth voters involved in the campaign raised the prominence of climate change as one of the key issues in the election and generated 100 of media stories.http://www.powervote.org
Power Shift 2009
Energy Action held a second national youth climate summit, Power Shift 2009 which took place February 27 through March 2, 2009 in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The event drew over 12,000 student and youth climate activists, representing all 50 U.S. states, all Canadian provinces, and 13 other nations including Brazil, Austria, the United Kingdom. The goal of the conference was to "push the Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
administration and Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to pass 'bold, comprehensive, and just national climate legislation before entering international climate negotiations in December 2009.'" The official Power Shift 2009 website states that the conference will bring 10,000 students and young people together to:
- Push the new administration and the United States CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to pass bold, comprehensive, and just national climate legislation before entering international climate negotiations in December 2009. - Develop a comprehensive movement strategy for 1.) continued and increased political pressure and accountability and 2.) a uniform vision/direction that helps facilitate the development and implementation of individual and group action plans for the overall growth of the clean energy movement.
- Strengthen bonds between diverse youth constituencies.
- Train and empower participants with the skills needed to create one movement that tackles climate change, environmental injustice, and economic failure.
- Connect with fellow organizers and build community to strengthen our movement and sustain participant involvement over the long-run.
- Understand the magnitude of both the challenges and opportunities at hand (climate, socioeconomic injustice, personal, etc.) and explore our own capacities to create transformative change.
The Power Shift '09 Conference was the largest gathering of young people to solve the climate crisis in history. Meeting with key strategic members in Congress, these young activists were told that they (congress) was ready to start promoting the essential legislation to achieve the just energy future we all deserve, but they needed a force (they specifically asked for an "army") on the ground spreading the word and gaining support. At Power Shift '09 we gathered in record numbers, 12,000 plus, to demonstrate that the youth climate movement is that "army."
http://www.powershift09.org
The Power Shift'09 Summer Campaign
The Power Shift'09 Summer Campaign took the momentum rolling off of the conference and worked to organize the "army," behind a highly strategized and unified national effort to pass bold climate and energy policy in 2009. By organizing and mobilizing the thousands of youth across this country behind the urgency of a powerful "Climate" bill.Regional Power Shifts
Thousands of young people rallied across the United States this Fall for the Power Shift '09 Regional Summits: 11 massive gatherings to exercise the political power of young voters and ask President Obama and Congress to pass a clean energy jobs plan by December to rebuild our economy, end our dependence on dirty energy, and bring America lasting security.- Indiana Power Shift, Oct. 10-11, Carmel, IN
- Michigan Power Shift, Oct. 9-11, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI
- Missouri Power Shift, Oct. 16-18, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
- Carolinas Power Shift, Oct 16-18, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Northern Plains Power Shift, Oct 23-25, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
- Pennsylvania Power Shift, Oct 23-25, Penn State University, State College, PA
- Virginia Power Shift, Oct 23-25, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
- Appalachia Power Shift, Oct 23-25, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
- Florida Power Shift, Oct 23-25, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
- Ohio Power Shift, Nov 6-8, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
- Power Shift West, Nov 6-8, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
There couldn't have been a more important time for these summits; the Senate was working on a much needed climate and energy bill and President Obama needed such legislation to head to the International Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen with the tools necessary to lead the world toward a fair, ambitious & binding global treaty.
http://www.energyactioncoalition.org/Regional
See also
- Australian Youth Climate CoalitionAustralian Youth Climate CoalitionThe Australian Youth Climate Coalition is a youth organisation in Australia. The coalition consists of 25 other youth organisations, which includes the National Union of Students amongst many...
- Canadian Youth Climate CoalitionCanadian Youth Climate CoalitionThe Canadian Youth Climate Coalition is a non for profit youth organisation in Canada. The coalition consists of various youth organisations, which includes the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Labour Congress The charity aims to politically prioritize climate change as an important...
- Environmental groups and resources serving K–12 schoolsEnvironmental groups and resources serving K–12 schoolsThis article includes information about environmental groups and resources that serve K–12 schools in the United States and internationally...
- Environmental movement in the United StatesEnvironmental movement in the United StatesIn the United States today, the organized environmental movement is represented by a wide range of organizations sometimes called non-governmental organizations or NGOs. These organizations exist on local, national, and international scales...
- Indian Youth Climate NetworkIndian Youth Climate NetworkThe Indian Youth Climate Network refers to an youth organizations in India that aims to raise the voice of Indian youth on the global platform as South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by potentially catastrophic climate change & environment issues.IYCN members work to generate...
- Individual and political action on climate changeIndividual and political action on climate changeIndividual and political action on climate change can take many forms, most of which have the ultimate goal of limiting and/or reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, toward avoiding dangerous climate change.-Political action:...
- Politics of global warmingPolitics of global warmingThe politics of global warming have involved corporate lobbying, funding of special interest groups and public relations campaigns by the oil and coal industries which have affected policy decisions and legislation worldwide...
- Power ShiftPower ShiftFor the book by Alvin Toffler, see Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century. For the driving technique, see Powershifting....
- UK Youth Climate CoalitionUK Youth Climate CoalitionThe UK Youth Climate Coalition is a grass-roots, non-profit youth organisation in the United Kingdom. The organisation is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, who are all under the ages of 25....
- Youth Climate MovementYouth Climate MovementThe Youth Climate Movement or International Youth Climate Movement refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.- Formation :Since the Rio Earth...